Shoe form



Dec. 21, 1932. DE WITT 1,891,900

SHOE FORM Filed Dec. 16, 1931 Patented Dec. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM J. DE WI'I'T, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIG-NOR TO SHOE FORM (10., INC., 01 AUBURN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SHOE FORM Application filed December 16, 1931.

This invention relates to an improvement in a shoe form and more particularly to means for insuring the correct location of the form in the shoe so that the toe portion thereof is properly plumped out and has substantially the appearance it should have when worn upon the foot.

One object of this invention is to provide in the flanges of the toe form countersunk areas which receive the heads of the rivets or studs at the ends of the crossbraces and thereby facilitate the adjustment of the braces when the toe form is in position in the shoe.

Another object of this invention is to proride means, hereinafter referred to as a thrust bar, attached at one end to the crossbrace of a toe form and adapted to bear at the other end against the heel counter of the shoe, and including integral spring means whereby pressure is yieldably exerted by the thrust bar against the crossbrace and against the heel counter.

Other objects of the invention will appear from an examination of the following description and of the drawing which forms a part thereof, and in which Fig. 1 is a plan view with parts broken away of a shoe form embodying this invention and comprising a toe form provided with a pair of crossbraces attached to the toe form at countersunk areas thereof and a thrust bar attached at one end to both said crossbraces;

ig. 2 is a side elevation of the shoe form shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a crosssectional detail view taken along the line 3-3 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the forward end of the thrust bar shown in Fig. 1 illustrating also the connection of the bar to the crossbraces;

Fig. 5 is a plan view, with parts broken away, of a shoe form illustrating another embodiment of this invention; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the forward end of the thrust bar shown in Fig. 5 illustrating also the connection of the bar to the crossbrace.

The shoe form of Figs. 1 to 4 which em Serial No. 581,344.

bodies and was selected to illustrate this invention comprises a toe form 10 and a thrust bar 30. The toe form, which is preferably of celluloid or other material having the required stiffness and flexibility, may be shaped in any suitable manner, as for example in accordance with the process disclosed in my Patent No. 1,783,915, dated December 2, 1930. Such form comprises a hollow toe portion 11, the side walls of which terminate in ball flanges 12 and 13 which, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, are integral portions of a continuous bottom flange. rearward end of the flanges 12 and 13 are formed arcuate slots 15 and 16 respectively and at the inner side of each slot is formed in each flange a row of bosses 17 and 18 respectively. The areas 19 and 20 of the flanges 12 and 13 which include the slot and row of bosses are raised by suitable countersinking for a purpose to be described later.

The flanges 12 and 13 are connected by crossbraces 22 and 23, the forward ends of the crossb-races being pivoted by rivets 24 and 25 to the flanges 12 and 13 respectively. The flanges 12 and 13 are provided with raised areas 26 and 27 through which the rivets 24 and 25 pass. At the rearward ends of the crossbraces are secured rivets 28 and 29 which pass throughthe slots 16 and 15 respectively and thus guide the pivotal movement of the braces. The bosses 18 and 17 coact with the braces to secure them yieldably in the desired adjusted positions.

The thrust bar 30 comprises a tube 31 of celluloid or the like surrounding a wire rod 32, the forward end of which projects beyond the tube. The rearward end of the thrust bar is bent into a loop 33, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to afford a smooth contact with the heel counter 34 (Fig. 2). The forward end of the rod 32 is first, bent back upon itself to form a curved loop 35, second, bent at an acute angle 36 in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of the loop 33, and third, bent at another acute angle 37 which preferably includes a coil 38, in the same plane. The portion 39 of the rod 32 beyond the coil 38 is passed over the main body of the rod, bent at right angles through the loop Adjacent the loosely, thus preventing any separation of flange 12.

the thrust bar and crossbraces while permitting the braces to shift during the manipulation and adjustment of the toe form.

The embodiment shown in Figs. and 6 is similar in many respects to that previously described and consequently will not again be described in detail, the corresponding fea tures being designated on the drawing and referred to hereinbelow by primes of the numerals previously used. Theflanges 12 and 13" of the toe form are connected by a crossbar 50 which ext-ends below the flanges, being pivotally secured at one end to the flange 13 by a rivet 51 and having at its other end an upright stud or rivet 52 which passes through the arcuate slot 15 in the The rivets 51 and 52 are connected by a wire bar 53 provided intermediate its ends with a projection such as a stud or rivet 54.

The forward. end of the wire rod 32' of the thrust bar is secured to the rivet 5-1 so as to cause the brace to swing on its pivot and expand the toe form 10 to its proper position. The wire rod 32, shown particularly in Fig. 6, is bent similarly'to therod 32, having a forward loop 35", angles 36 and 37 and a coil 38'. The portion 39, however, terminates in a loop which may, as shown, coincide with the loop 35'; The loops 35' and 55 receive the stud or rivet 54, the loop 55 being substantially closed about the stud to prevent separation while the loop 35 is free to advance from the normal position shown in the drawing, when in use.

It will be understood that when either of a the illustrated embodiments is used the toe form is inserted into the toe of the shoe and pushed forward substantially into position. The thrust bar is bent slightly so that the loop at the rearward end thereof rests against the heel counter of the shoe and then straightened. The thrust bar thereupon acts against the erossbraces or crossbrace of the toe form and causes the braces, or brace to swing and expand the walls of the toe form until they come into close contact with the walls of the shoe toe. By reason of the conformation of the forward ends of the thrust bars it will be noted that the bars act yieldingly against the crossbraces' or crossbrace and hence when the toe form has been seated and the walls thereof expanded the end of the thrust bar will advance independently of the toe form. The natural resiliency of the wire rod alone will permit such advance and will return the parts to normal position as soon as permitted, but in order to assist such action the coil 38 or 38 is provided. When the form is withdrawn from the shoe the thrust bar is drawn backward until the loop 35 or 35 engages the portion 39 or the rivet T 54, thereby causing the crossbraces or crossbrace to pivot and contract the toe form and thereupon toextract the toe form from the shoe.

The provision in the toe form of the emout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe portion, the walls whereof terminate in flanges, a crossbrace connecting said flanges, a rivet pivotally securing one end of said crossbrace to a flange, the other flange having an arcuate slot therein and a rivet carried by the other end of said crossbrace and adapted to move in said slot, the areas of said flanges engaged by said rivets being raised to reduce the frictional contact of the rivets with the insole of the shoe in which the form is inserted during the pivotal movement of the brace.

2. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe portion, the walls whereof terminate in flanges, a crossbrace connecting said flanges,

a rivet pivotally securingone end of said crossbrace to a flange, the other flange having an arcuate slot therein and a rivet carried by the other end of said crossbrace and adapted to move in said slot, the area of that portion of the second named flange provided with said slot being raised to reduce the frictional contact with the insole of the shoe in which the form is inserted, of the rivet adapted to move in said slot. I

3. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe portion, the walls whereof terminate in flanges, a crossbrace connecting said flanges, a rivet pivotally securing one end of the crossbrace to a. flange, the other flange having an arcuate slot therein and'a row of bosses at one side of the slot, and a rivet carried by the. other end of said crossbrace and adapted to move in said slot, the end of the brace carrying the rivet being'yieldably engaged by said bosses, the area of that portion of the second named flange. provided with said slot and said bosses being raised to reduce the frictional contact with the insole of the shoe in which the form is inserted, of the rivet adapted to move in said slot.

i. A shoe form comprising a toe portion, the walls whereof terminate in flanges, a crossbrace connecting said flanges and a thrust bar including a wire rod and means to secure the forward end of the rod to said crossbrace, the rod being bent back upon itself intermediate its ends to form a loop about the means for securing the rod to the brace, whereby backward pressure exerted upon the bar is transmitted positively through said means to the brace.

5. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe portion, the walls whereof terminate in flanges, a crossbrace connecting said flanges and a thrustbar including a wire rod and means to secure the forward end of the rod to said crossbrace, the rod being bent back upon itself intermediate its ends to form a loop about the means for securing the rod to the brace, and a coil, whereby backward pressure exerted upon the bar is transmitted positively through said means to the brace and forward pressure exerted upon the bar is yieldably transmitted through said means to the brace.

6. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe portion, the walls whereof terminate in flanges, braces connecting said flanges and crossing each other at a point intermediate the ends thereof and a thrust bar including a wire rod bent back upon itself intermediate its ends to form a loop, the forward end of the rod passing through said loop into engagement with the braces at the point of crossing, whereby backward pressure exerted upon the bar is positively transmitted to the braces by the coaction of the portion of the rod forming the loop with the forward end thereof.

7. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe portion, the walls whereof terminate in flanges, braces connecting said flanges and crossing each other at a point intermediate the ends thereof and a thrust bar including a wire rod bent back upon itself intermediate its ends to form a coil and a loop, the forward end of the rod passing through the loop into engagement with the braces at the point of crossing, whereby the rod possesses inherent yieldability so that forward pres sure exerted upon the bar is yieldably transmitted by the forward end thereof to the braces and whereby backward pressure exerted upon the bar is positively transmitted to the braces by the coaction of the portion of the rod forming the loop with the forward end thereof.

8. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe portion, the walls whereof terminate in flanges, braces connecting said flanges and crossing each other at a point intermediate the ends thereof, said braces being pivotally movable to expand or contract the "walls of the toe portion, and a thrust bar including a wire rod bent back upon itself intermediate its ends to form a coil and a loop through which the forward end of the rod passes into engagement with the braces at the point of crossing, whereby the rod possesses yieldability so that forward pressure exerted upon the bar is yieldably transmitted by the forward end thereof to the braces, causing them to expand the walls of the toe portion, and whereby backward pressure exerted upon the bar is positively transmittedto the braces by the coaction of the portion of the rod forming the loop with the forward end thereby, causing the braces to contract the side walls of the toe portion.

9. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe portion, the walls whereof terminate in flanges, a crossbrace connecting said flanges and having a projection intermediate its ends, and a thrust bar including a wire rod secured at its forward end to the projection on the crossbrace, and bent back upon itself intermediate of its ends to form a loop about the projection on the brace, whereby backward pressure exerted upon the bar is transmitted positively to the crossbrace by the coaction of the portion of the rod forming the loop and the projection.

10. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe portion, the walls whereof terminate in flanges, a crossbrace connecting said flanges and having a projection intermediate its ends, and a thrust bar including awire rod secured at its forward end to the projection on the crossbrace, and bent back upon itself intermediate of its ends to form a loop about the projection on the brace, whereby backward pressure exerted upon the bar is trans mitted positively to the crossbrace by the co action of the portion of the rod forming the loop and the projection, and a coil whereby forward pressure exerted upon the bar is transmitted yieldably to the crossbrace.

11. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe portion, the walls whereof. terminate in flanges, a crossbrace, a rivet pivotally securing one end of the brace to one flange, the other flange having an arcuate slot therein, a rivet carried by the other end of the brace and passing through said slot, whereby the pivotal movement of the brace will expand or contract the side walls of the toe portion, a wire bar secured to said rivets and having a projection thereon, and a thrust bar connected to said projection, said crossbrace being moved pivotally by said thrust bar to expand or contract the side walls of the toe portion.

12. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe portion, the walls whereof terminate in flanges, a crossbrace, a rivet pivotally securing one end of the brace to one flange, the other flange having an arcuate slot therein, a

rivet carried by the other end of the brace and passing through said slot, whereby the pivotal movement of the brace Will expand or contract the side Walls of the toe portion, a wire'bar secured to said rivets and having a projection thereon, and a thrust bar attached at its forward end to said projection and bent back upon itself to form a loop about the projection, whereby backward pressure exerted upon the bar is transmitted positively to the crossbrace by the coaction of the portion forming the loop and the projection to contract the side walls of the toe portion.

13. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe portion, the walls whereof terminate in flanges, a crossbrace, a rivet pivotally securing one end of the brace to one flange, the other flange having an arcuate slot therein, a

rivet carried by the other end of the brace and passing through said slot, whereby the pivotal movement of the brace willexpand or contract the side walls of the toe portion, a wirebar secured to said rivets and having a projection thereon, and a thrust bar attached at its forward end to said projection and bent back upon itself to form a loop about the projection, whereby backward pressure excrted upon the bar is transmitted positively to the crossbrace by the coaction of the portion forming the loop and the projection to contract the side walls of the toe portion, and a coil whereby forward pressure exerted upon the bar is transmitted yieldably to the'crossbrace to expand the side Walls of the toe portion.

Signed by me at Auburn, New York, this 14th day of December, 1931.

WILLIAM 'J. DE 'WI TT. 

